Unknown Vineyard Row Straddle Tractor

[Haoleguy]

Was up in Ontario visiting some winery/vineyard folks. There is a move in Ontario to increase grapevine density plantings to the point where narrow conventional tractors will not work. The following pic is of a new, French I believe, double over row tractor that puts very little ground pressure to the soil. Slick tractor but I wonder what this costs? Attachments are pricey and double needed. If someone knows the name of this manufacturer do share...Gary

[flusher]

Was up in Ontario visiting some winery/vineyard folks. There is a move in Ontario to increase grapevine density plantings to the point where narrow conventional tractors will not work. The following pic is of a new, French I believe, double over row tractor that puts very little ground pressure to the soil. Slick tractor but I wonder what this costs? Attachments are pricey and double needed. If someone knows the name of this manufacturer do share...Gary

Hey, that's sure nifty.
Around here there are thousands of acres of newly planted olive orchards (for oil, not table olives) that contain specially developed Spanish varieties that are trellised similar to grapes and are harvested by modified grape harvesting equipment. Maybe some of these gizmos like you saw will show up later this year when they do the first harvest.

[Haoleguy]

Flusher - I was out recently in the Davis area to visit a grapevine nursery I purchased from and did notice high density olive groves that resembled grape vineyards. There are some high density plantings in the Napa area(I think Opus 1 has) where straddle tractors are used. Mechanical harvesters usually straddle one row and are more common regardless of planting dimensions. I think that will be the kind you see for the olive groves. The following video by OXBO shows one ...... [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v0glTpuK8SY&feature=related]Oxbo 6420 Super High Density Olive Harvester - YouTube[/ame] .

[Robert_in_NY]

Bobard makes over the row tractors and Gregorie also has multi use over row tractors that they can use as sprayers and harvesters. I don't recall seeing that tractor you have pictured before though. It is an interesting design. I imagine it would be great for vineyards on hill sides.

[Haoleguy]

Yes Robert. Each wing can go up or down independently to stabilize on hillsides.

[rangerrzr]

I did a pretty intensive internet search and that tractor never appeared once. I did however find something manufactured by "JUTEK" It was called a Two Row Tractor. There wasn't much information on that one either. Neat looking machine though.

[bcp]

Photos from:
AXISS 8521

Bruce

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e1VMYcc4bUg[/ame]

[Haoleguy]

Thanks Bruce. That's it ! The video is way cool especially the variable height adjustment....Gary

[flusher]

Flusher - I was out recently in the Davis area to visit a grapevine nursery I purchased from and did notice high density olive groves that resembled grape vineyards. There are some high density plantings in the Napa area(I think Opus 1 has) where straddle tractors are used. Mechanical harvesters usually straddle one row and are more common regardless of planting dimensions. I think that will be the kind you see for the olive groves. .

Yep, that's the equipment they use around here. In the past 4 years over 10,000 acres of trellised olives have been planted in this area as well as construction of a $25M olive mill outside Artois, CA to process the crop. Between the 10's of thousands of acres of trellised olives and the new almond orchards (semi-dwarf variety) going in around here, hayfields and pasture land are disappearing rapidly in the North Sacramento Valley.